Mounting apparatus for built-in appliances



Oct. 29, 1963 w. L. SHELTON 3,108,774

MOUNTING APPARATUS FOR BUILT-IN APPLIANCES Filed Aug. 8, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F'IGJ I; El 1 g E1 1 5 i II i i I INVENTOR. WINSTON L. SHELTON H [S ATTORNEY Oct. 29, 1963 Filed Aug. 8. 196

W. L. SHELTQN MOUNTING'APPARATUS FOR BUILT-IN APPLIANCES 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 F'IG.3

5; L-J l 5 M" l 3 H 1" a i WINSTON L. SHELTON HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,108,774 MGUNTENG APPARATUS FGR BUILT-IN APPLIANCES Yiinstcn L. .i'eiierson own, Ky, to Genmay, a corporation of New Yer Filed Aug. 8, 1961, Ser. No. 130,084 Elaims. (til. ass-14) This invention relates to mounting means, and more particularly to an arrangement for setting appliances of the built-in type in position so that they are secured to the wall of a room.

The use of built-in appliances, that is, appliances which are virtually a part of a dwelling rather than being separate therefrom, is becoming more and more widespread. For instance, it is starting to find application in connection with washing machines. Necessarily, when an appliance such as a washing machine is built in, that is, secured directly against a wall of the dwelling within which it is used, parts which were readily accessible for final adjustment when the appliance was a free standing one may become quite inaccessible. This is particularly the case where the appliance is intended to fit into a space with virtually no clearance; this may occur, for instance, where the top of the appliance forms a continuation of a counter surface with virtually no clearance on either side of the appliance. In such an event, all parts of the back of the appliance are removed from accessibility by the presence of the counter once the machine is in position.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide, for appliances intended to have a front part resting on the floor of a building and a rear part intended to be secured to the wall, an improved and simplified installation arrangement for such machines.

A further more specific object of my invention is to provide an improved mounting arrangement for such built-in appliances wherein a member on the appliance itself is used cooperatively with a part of the wall so as to provide both leverage and positioning advantages during the installation of the machine.

In one aspect of my invention, I provide a wall portion (which includes securing means) together with an appliance intended to be secured to the wall at its back and to have its front end resting on the floor; this would be the case with a built-in washing machine, for instance. I provide, on the back of the appliance, a member which is pivotally mounted to move in a plane substantially parallel to the wall. An opening extends through the pivotal member in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of movement of the member, and the member is so arranged that when it extends vertically upward the opening is above the top of the appliance. To cooperate with this structure on the appliance, I provide in the wall portion a recess which is formed so as to be in approximate alignment with the opening when the pivotal member extends upwardly. By providing the wall portion and the appliance with this relationship, it is then possible to insert any rigid elongated member, such as a rod, through the opening into the recess; this provides a combination lever and positioning means for moving the appliance into position so that the machine may be properly secured against the wall.

The features of my invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification. My invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of the rear of a washing machine formed to be mounted in accordance with my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of my invention, partly broken away and partly in section to show details, the view being taken with the parts in a position to illustrate the use of my inventive combination during installa tion; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged side elevational view similar to that of FIGURE 2 but with the parts in their assembled position.

Referring now to FIGURES l and 3 initially, there is shown therein an appliance, more specifically a washing machine having a cabinet generally indicated by the numeral 1 which encloses the various different components conventionally included and assembled together to provide a domestic automatic washing machine. These may include, for instance, an imperforate tub 2 rigidly secured within cabinet 1, an electric motor 3, and an apparatus generally indicated at 4 so that the electric motor may cause suitable washing, centrifuging, and pumping actions to take place in the tub 2. A lid 5 is hingedly mounted, as shown at '6, so that it may be lifted upwardly from the front 7 of the machine, as shown in FIGURE 3, to provide access to the interior of the machine for the insertion and removal of the clothes.

Where so desired, the lid 5 may be formed with a sub stantial indentation 8 therein thereby in effect providing a sink in the lid. A suitable source of water including a spout 9 and control handles such as that shown at 10 may be provided in order to control the supply of water into sink 8. The handles 10' and the spout 9 may extend from a housing 11 which is generally provided to enclose the control components of the washing machine and which is positioned directly above the main cabinet 1 at the back thereof as shown in FIGURE 3. I

A suitable drain line 12 (FIGURE 1) may be provided extending from the sink 8 so as to permit emptying of the sink, it being understood that drain line 12 connects with a drain system 13 (FIGURE 3) which is provided within a recessed wall portion assembly 14. In effect, an opening 15 may be made in the conventional wall 16 of the dwelling within which the washing machine is to be used, with the assembly 14 then being secured within opening 15 and becoming a part of the wall against which the washing machine is to be secured. In connection with the construction of assembly 14 and the manner in which the various plumbing needs such as drain assembly 13 and the like are included therein, such structure is not further described herein, being fully described and claimed in application Serial No. 119,708 filed jointly by Winston L. Shelton, Donald E. Wilson and John M. Evjen on June 26, 1961 and assigned to General Electric Company, assignee of the present invention.

The cabinet is provided beneath its front section 7 with suitable feet 17 adapted to support the machine by engagement with a conventional floor surface 18. At its rear, the cabinet 1 is intended to be supported by engagement with the wall portion 14. In order to effect this, suitable securing members 19 are formed extending forward from the remainder of the wall portion at each side near the bottom, each member 19 having a recess 20 formed in its upper surface. In the back of the cabinet 1, there is provided a member 21- extending thereacross near the bottom, with openings 22 being formed in the member 21.. The openings 22 are so positioned that, when members 19 extend through openings 22 respectively as shown, with the member 21 resting in the groove 20 of the member w, the machine is positioned as it should be so that it stands substantially upright andflush against the wall 16. It can be seen that members 19 and openings 22 are cooperatively formed male and female members, arranged to support cabinet 1 when it is pushed back against wall 16 after the members 19 and openings 22 have been aligned.

The cabinet 1 includes a portion 23 (FIGURE 1) extending across adjacent the top of the back. By cans of a pin 24, an elongated member 25, which may conventionally be formed of sheet metal, is pivotally secured on the member 23 so that, from the position shown in solid lines in FIGURE 1, pivoting of member 25 about pin 24 may cause the member to be moved to the position shown in dotted outline wherein the member extends substantially vertically upward. Member 25 has an opening 26 formed therein in spaced relation to pin 24, the pivot point, and in its upwardly extending position the member 25 has its opening 26 positioned above the top of the cabinet 1. It can readily be seen by reference to FIG- URES 2 and 3 that the member 25 pivots in a plane which is substantially parallel to the wall 16, and that, by the same token, the opening 26 extends through member 25 in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to the plane of movement of the member.

Assembly 14 includes a recess 27 which may, in the usual case where assembly 14 is formed of sheet metal, be formed simply as an opening as shown, so that the end 28 of a rigid elongated member such as a rod 29 may be received in the recess 27. The recess 27 and the opening 26 in member 25 are so arranged relatively to each other that when they are substantially aligned in a horizontal direction the cabinet 1 is in the upright position in which it is intended that it be used. When the cabinet 1 is in the position shown in FIGURE 2, in which it rests prior to its securement to assembly 14, there is sufiicient alignment of opening 26 and recess 27 that when the member 25 is moved to its upwardly extending position rod 29 may be inserted through opening 26 into recess 27 as shown.

Then the rod 29 may be grasped near its outer end 3%, as shown, and by means of the leverage action provided by the cooperative relationship of the recess 27 and opening 26 in member 25, the cabinet assembly may be raised until rod 29 is in a horizontal position. At this time, the person installing the cabinet 1 knows that there is alignment of the projecting securement members 19 with the openings 22. Consequently, holding the rod in a substantially horizontal position, i.e., with opening 26 and recess 27 horizontally aligned, a force may be applied horizontally (as shown by the arrow A in FIGURE 2) to cause the cabinet 1 to slide on its feet 17 to the left. As it does so, securement members 19 pass into openings 22 so that the cabinet is retained in its upright position as desired and as shown in FIGURE 3. Thus, when the rod 29 is withdrawn by pulling it substantially straight out, cabinet 1 will remain in its assembled position with the upper edge of each opening 22 resting in the recess 20 of each member 19.

Then, if there are no other parts to the built-in appliance, member 25 may be pivoted back down to the position shown in solid outline in FIGURE 1 so that it is no longer visible, having served its purpose during the installation of the appliance. Of course, where a further part of the appliance is to be installed, as is the case where a control cabinet 11 is to be provided, the member 25 may be left extending upwardly where so desired provided it does not interfere with any of the electrical or plumbing 6 components of the machine; in such an event, member 25 could be rigidly secured so as to extend upward.

It will be seen that by my invention there is provided a simple but highly effective arrangement for installing a built-in appliance which is accessible only from the front. It will further be noted that the structure is particularly suitable for appliances such as a washing machine which is adapted to rest on the floor at its front. Both the lifting of the appliance and the positioning of the cooperating securement means in alignment with each other are readily effected in a simple manner.

It will be understood that while in accordance with the patent statutes I have described what at'present is considered to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from my invention, and it is therefore aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination: a wall portion including at least one securing means; and an appliance having a front section adapted to rest on the fioor and a back section with means arranged to cooperate with said securing means upon engagement therewith to secure said appliance in a desired position against said wall portion, said appliance also having a member pivotally secured on said back section to move in a plane substantially parallel to said wall portion, said pivotal member having an opening extending therethrough in spaced relation to its pivot axis and substantially perpendicular to its plane of movement, said pivotal member being arranged so that said opening is above the top of said appliance when said pivotal member extends vertically upward; said wall portion having a recess formed therein so as to be in approximate alignment with said opening when said pivotal member extends up ward, whereby an elongated rigid member may be inserted through said opening and extending into said recess to provide a combination lever and positioning means for moving said appliance into position so that said securing means is engaged by said means adapted to cooperate therewith.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said securing means and said means adapted to cooperate therewith are in position for engagement when said opening and said recess are in horizontal alignment.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein one of said securing means and said means adapted to cooperate therewith is male and the other is female.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein said male means is secured to and extends forward from said wall portion, and said female means is formed in the back of said appliance.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein one securing means and one means adapted to cooperate therewith is positioned on each side at the back of said appliance.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,784,204 Roedding Dec. 9, 1930 2,832,628 Turnbull Apr. 29, 1958 2,992,743 Wing July 18, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 113,778 Sweden Apr. 10, 1945 

1. IN COMBINATION: A WALL PORTION INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE SECURING MEANS; AND AN APPLIANCE HAVING A FRONT SECTION ADAPTED TO REST ON THE FLOOR AND A BACK SECTION WITH MEANS ARRANGED TO COOPERATE WITH SAID SECURING MEANS UPON ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH TO SECURE SAID APPLIANCE IN A DESIRED POSITION AGAINST SAID WALL PORTION, SAID APPLIANCE ALSO HAVING A MEMBER PIVOTALLY SECURED ON SAID BACK SECTION TO MOVE IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID WALL PORTION, SAID PIVOTAL MEMBER HAVING AN OPENING EXTENDING THERETHROUGH IN SPACED RELATION TO ITS PIVOT AXIS AND SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO ITS PLANE OF MOVEMENT, SAID PIVOTAL MEMBER BEING ARRANGED SO THAT SAID OPENING IS ABOVE THE TOP OF SAID APPLIANCE WHEN SAID PIVOTAL MEMBER EXTENDS VERTICALLY UPWARD; SAID WALL PORTION HAVING A RECESS FORMED THEREIN SO AS TO BE IN APPROXIMATE ALIGNMENT WITH SAID OPENING WHEN SAID PIVOTAL MEMBER EXTENDS UPWARD, WHEREBY AN ELONGATED RIGID MEMBER MAY BE INSERTED THROUGH SAID OPENING AND EXTENDING INTO SAID RECESS TO PROVIDE A COMBINATION LEVER AND POSITIONING MEANS FOR MOVING SAID APPLIANCE INTO POSITION SO THAT SAID SECURING MEANS IS ENGAGED BY SAID MEANS ADAPTED TO COOPERATE THEREWITH. 